PGMA distributes P557 T cash incentives to coconut farmers in Iloilo
GUIMBAL, Iloilo – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today distributed around P557,000 cash incentives to coconut farmers from southern Iloilo under the Participatory Coconut Planting Program of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).
PCA Administrator Oscar Garin said under the program coconut farmers are given P7-incentive/per piece at the moment coco nuts are being laid on the seed bed, another P7/coconut seedling once it grows to as high as two feet and P16 upon transfer to the open field and become stabilized for six months.
The provision of incentive is one way to boost the agency’s program to expand the coconut plantation in the country.
“The only way to sustain this industry is to plant and replant and this is the program of total assistance to the farmer if they are just diligent to plant coconut trees,” he said.
He said that the program although almost a ‘dole out’ is supportive of the government’s hunger mitigating program.
Garin said the checks that were distributed to farmers from San Joaquin, Igbaras, Guimbal, Tigbauan and Miagao already represent the second trance of the three phases of the incentive program.
Meantime, recipients were also thankful to the government for providing them support as they believed that such will also encourage other farmers to plant coconut.
“I am very optimistic because this is the first time in the history that the government has given this kind of service, Eddie Esmero from Igbaras said.
He added that as long as farmers continue to plant coconut then the industry will surely grow bigger.
Lamberto Sebuan, Jr. from San Joaquin also encouraged other farmers to join the industry because the coconut milk that comes from here is already competitive abroad.
“I am very thankful to President Arroyo in behalf of the coconut farmers of San Joaquin and first district of the province of Iloilo for helping us farmers and giving us incentives,” he said.
Ricardo Lamberto of Miagao also shared similar sentiment.
He stressed that the government is very concerned to farmers who have been engaging in coconut farming.
Meanwhile, PCA director for Western Visayas Joey Cruz disclosed that they almost reached 95 percent of their proposed one million coconut population to be planted in the region as part of their expansion program.
Almost 250,000 of the one million population are in Iloilo, he added.
Meantime, Garin encouraged other coconut farmers to avail of the incentive by registering at the PCA office.
During the distribution, President Arroyo also advised Administrator Garin to remind the Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) of the agency’s requested fund for its expansion program. (PNA)